Electric clock.



1. a. BLESSI NG.

ELEGTRiC CLOCK.

APPucAnbN FILED APR.2. 19H.

Patented Dec. 18, 1 917] 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

monks J. G; B LESSING. ELECTRIC, CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED n.2, 19m.

Patented Dec. 18,1917.

115m); rm

WITNESS. V INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.1011: a. memo, or crucnco, rumors, nssxcxon r ALEXANDER n. aim, or nmsnnm, rumors.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Apr-112, 1917. "Serial No.'158,114.'

' To au/w/wm it may concern:

-. cally re-wound orre-set Be itknown that I; JOHN G. BLnssINc, a citizenof the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Il1ino1s, have invented a certain new and useful Im oveinent in Electric Clocks, of'which the lb wing is a specification My invention relates to electric clocks or otherjinstrumeilts or devices in which the clockwork or. other mechanismis automatito again tension the sprlngby which the clock or instrument is operated, the re-wind-ing or re-settm being accomplished by an ,eIectro-magnet. w lch 1s intermittently or periodically energized, so that. with a proper source of current the clock or, other instrument 'oridevice will be ,operated "by the spring or other means as long as there is a sufliclent supply of current zoto more certain and reliable.

' tails and 1 features of energize the magnet. I :It W111 e seen that my'invention is an improvement on a the cst'ructuredisclosed 1n 'Patient No. 15217 557, granted February 27,

25 -t1on, .as herein shown and stated the object'of m invendescribeli, is v to prom e an mproved construction and arra ilg einent. whereby, the, ratchet-mechanism and. electric switch aresimphfied, thereby to reduce the cost of manufacture, and whereby the operation-of these elements is rendered Generally provide certain deconstruction and comlnations tendin to increase the general and reliability of aratchet-mech- It-is also an object to amsm andcircuit-controlling switch of this particular form and. construction.

ends, my inventionconsists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.- a

In the accompanying dratvingsgi ".e' .1 is a rearjelevationof a clock To these and other useful provlded with a rawhet-mechanism. and a 7 portion? of; h

60, the arrows of line 2-2 in cimuitcontrolling switch jembod ying the principles of my invention, z'showing the rear t e casm removed to bring into view. the dificrent evices inclosed thereby.

Fig. 2 is. a'view looking inthe directiomof Fig.1, showing onlythe back andsides of the casingin sec tion.

Fig. 3 fi s an 'enlargedjdetailview oi the ratchet-mechanismr I Fig." 4 is 'a View lookingin the direction F notch on the ratchet-wheel. suitably secured at 2' to the casingor housing showing the posipawl and detent when the cirany suitable character, is suitably secured.

axis of the k, and by which the train of gears is operated to actuate the escape- C, which latter may also be of any suitable character.

he ratchet-mechanism and circuit-com trolling switch for operating the-clock, and

for re-winding or re-setting the mechanism,

are constructed as followsvThe bracket D is secured to the front wall of the clock and supports the electro-magnet d,' which latter is of any suitable character. The armature E is d' .1s pivoted by a pure upon the ears or lugs F mounted on away from the magnet. The spring arm G is suitably connected with the armature, at its pivotal point, and is adapted at its other end to engage theratchet-wheel g, which a shaft-H that extends at right angles to the axis of -the armature, 96 but parallel with the axis of the gear-wheel 6, being provided with a inion it to engage said gear-Wheel. Thus tlieratchet is com posed of the wheel 9 and the pawl ordog G,

hence the ratchet has a s rin pawl actuated by the spring to clock. i VVhen'the ma net is energized, the H end of the pawl G sli es over the bevel of a ratchet-tooth and then drops into the next pressed 100 rive the a of the clock, and vhaslits free lsposed opposite therear-end of this 85 A detent I is the circuit of said magnet.

Fig. 5) when the armature is fully attracted. With this arrang ment, the end portion 1 of the pawl G and he end portion 2 of the detent I constitute theengaging elements of a switch for automatically opening and closing The spring f slowly retractsthe armature E, causing the pawl G to slowly actuate the ratchet-Wheel (because of the action of the escapenient C), and as soon as the armature is fully retracted, so thatthe ratchet is fully actuated, the contact portion 2 of the detent'drops into the same-notch with the contact portion 1,

of the pawl, thus circuit through the of the magnet, in this tract the armature E, thus forcing the pawl backward against the tension of the spring 1 and into another notch. VVhile the contact portion 1 is moving between the ratchet- Wheel and the portion 2, during the attraction of the armature E, a rubbing action takes place between these two portions 1 and 2, which insures clean contacts for the switch, thus insuring a closure of the circuit and the energizing of the magnet each time the two contacts come together. This sliding or rubautomatically closing the magnet. .The energizing way, causes it to atbing action between the two contacts is termlnated by' the separation of the two contacts, as soon as the portion 1 rides over the point of the ratchet-tooth, so that the switch is opened by a direct separation of the two contacts in a direction substantially at right angles to the sliding movement of the one contact on the other. Itwill be understood,

' of course, that the ratchet-Wheel. g is made -.of insulating material, such. as rubber vulshown in Fig.- 7, the essential requirement,.

.canite or red fiber,

or any other suitable materlal, so that the ratchet-teeth are formed of nonconducting or insulating material, thereby preventing the electric current from passing through this ratchet-wheel, and whereby the magnet is not energized until the two metallic springs which form the pawl G and the detent I' are brought together inone and-the same notchof the xfiample as that of course, bem that the springs or switch contacts G an I be connected in series in the circuit which includes the coil of the magnet, .in a short-circuiting and insure the desired results and for this purpose may be of any suitable ordesired character.

From the foregoing, therefore, it will be seen that 'the spring-pressed ratchet-pawl and one element of the .electric switch are combined in a single flat spring G, which may be of spring brass, or ot terlal, and that thidetent and other element of the switch are combined in a single flat spring I, which latter may also be of spring tion of manner which will preventkeep. the circuit and notwithstandi er suitable mabrass or. any other suitable material. Thus the mechanism is simplified, and in addition the manner in which the circuit is closed bythe entering of the portion 2 into the same notch with t e portion 1, so that the portion 2 is brought flatwise and crosswise onto the portion 1, insuresgreater certainty in the operation of, the mechanism as a whole. With this construction and method of opera.- tion, less accuracy is required in the formathe ratchet-teeth and other parts, time the circuit is' not the. rubbing or sliding action has taken place between the two contacts 1 and 2, and not until after the pawl is in position to enter the other words, the construction prevents the and at the same opening of thecircuit before the end of the the clrcuit is not liable to cause retractionof the armature before the pawl reaches the next notch. Thus the desired re-winding of the clock, so to speak, or the resetting of the ratchet-mechanism,- is insured each time thecircuit is automatically closed.

From the foregoing the clock or other instrument has a ratchet for the operation thereof, a device to actuate said ratchet, which device, asshown and described, is the' spring f which drives the train of gears in the clock; that said instru ment also comprisesan electro-magnet provided. with an armature tore-set the ratchet after each operation thereof, and an electric circuit for said magnet, the ratchet devic having a spring-pressed pawl G included in said circuit and connected with said magnet: armature, and means cooperating therewith to control said circuit, which means include the switch contacts 1 and 2 arranged to prevent opening of said. circuit before on said ratchet, whereby the pawl servesthe double function of actuating the ratchet wheel and-0f conducting the current by.

which the magnet is energized. With this construction, the insulating material of which the ratchet wheel 9 isvmade serves to open 'd-uringc actuation 'of the ratchet by the spring for otherwise,

the air the contacts 1 and of the switch, the air cuit would be closed between these contacts if said ratchet Wheel were made. of metal. It will be seen, therefore, that the invention serves to simplify the construction, as onestrip of resilient metal serves not onlf as the pawl and the spring by which it is pressed it will be as. that the pawl arrives in position to enter the next notch gap between against the ratchet wheel, but alsoprovides one of the contacts of theswitch, so that the three things are embodied in one strip of sheet metal, thusobviating the necessity of using separate and distinct parts to perform these dilferent functions.

I do not, of course, limit myself to the exact construction shown and described.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In an instrument of the class described, the, combination of a ratchet for operating said instrument, a device (f) to actuate said ratchet, an electrounagnet (d) provided with an armature (E) to re-set said ratchet after each operation thereof, and a circuit for said magnet, said ratchet having a spring-pressed pawl Gr included in said circuit and connected with said armature and means coiiperating therewith to control said circuit, said means (1 and 2) including a switch arranged to prevent opening of said circuit before said pawl arrives in po sition to enter the next notch on said ratchet, one element (1) of said switch sliding on the other (2) durin movement of the pawl by said magnet, said pawl by its spring-pressed action serving to open said switch after reaching the next notch, the one element being' insulated from the other when the switch is open, and said other element (2) of the switch being controlled by '.-'said ratchet to close the'circuit after each actuation of the pawlby said devlce.

2. Inan instrument of the class described,

the said combination and structure as set forth in claim 1, in which said pawl and one element are both formed by a single sprin strip connected to said armature.

, 3. In an instrument of the class described, the said combination and structure as set forth in claim 1, in which said switch is opened by movement of said one element in a direction approximately at right angles to said sliding motion.

4. In aninstrulnent of the class described, the said combination and structure substantially as set forth in claim 1, in which said. (1) is supported by and has all one element the movements of said pawl.

5. In. an instrument ofthe class described, the said combination and structure (substantially asset forth in claim 1) in which said armature is mounted to swin about an axis right angles tote axi's'o'f said tent (I) for said ratchet, and in which said pawl and detent occupy the same notch when the circuit is closed.

8v In an instrument of the class described, the said combination and structure. as set forth in claim 1, in which the two elements of the switch occupy adjacent notches when the'circuit is opened, and occupy the same notch when the circuit is closed.

9. In an instrument of the class described, the said combination and structure as set forth in claim 1, in which said ratchet has a detent (I) to prevent backward operation thereof, said pawl anddetent occupying adjacent notches when the circuit is opened,

and the pawl and detent occupying the same notch when the circuit is closed.

' 10. In an instrument of the class described,

.the combinationof a ratchet havingqapawl and detent, means for actuating e pawl to operatethe ratchet, and a circuit-controlled by the relative movements of said pawl and detent, said pawl and detentoccupying adjacent notches of the ratchet when the clrcuit is opened, and the pawl anddetent occupying the same notch when the circuit is close I 11. In an instrument of the class described, the said combination and structure as set forth in claim 10, in which said pawl and detent are included in said circuit.

12. In an instrument of the ,class described, thesaid combination and structure as set forth in claim 10, in which said deteut presses the pawl into the notch.

13. In an instrument of the class described, the combination of a ratchet having JOHN nnnssmo.

'a pawl and detent which occupy adjacent notches on the ratchet when the pawlis repawl, and a magnet to retract It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,250,782, granted December 18, 1917, upon the application of John G. Blessing, of Chicago, Illinois, for an improvement in Electric Clocks, errors appear requiring correction as follows: In the drawings, Sheet 2, Figs. 5, 6, and 7, insert a lead line from the word insulation to the toothed ratchet-wheel g; in the printed specification, page 3, lines 46-17, claim 4, and lines 51-52, claim 5, strike out the word substantially; same page, lines 5152, strike out the parentheses; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of February, A. D., 1918.

w J. T. NEWTON,

Commissioner 0 f I (1 30 12.18.

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